


Flower Duet

by akinnaoftheearth



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, Music Recommendations will probably happen, Set during the movie, Temporary Amnesia, Time Travel, not a good precedent but a precedent nonetheless!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:47:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23350417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akinnaoftheearth/pseuds/akinnaoftheearth
Summary: It was raining before everything started, and it was raining after it began. Though the second rain happened before the first rain.April showers bring May flowers, but it was raining in May. Or was that even in Spring?Steven didn't know, but he tried calling on his phone, but all that came through was static. And all he wanted after this was to call Connie...
Relationships: Connie Maheswaran & Steven Universe, Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe, Crystal Gems & Steven Universe, Greg Universe & Steven Universe, Spinel & Steven Universe
Comments: 5
Kudos: 42





	Flower Duet

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! It's quarantine time! Quick, post SU fic thirty minutes before the finale breaks me!
> 
> I'm trying something new with this little window of free time I have to create something that actually reflects the cacophony that is my wandering brain. Hope you enjoy it! If you don't, I'll just accept you don't fancy cacophonies very much.
> 
> Cheers <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recommend Waltz of Flowers by Tchaikovsky and Connie's Theme by Aivi & Surasshu to listen along with this chapter, in that order.

“Finally!” A voice exclaimed with relief. It echoed in a manner that made it obvious to her that its source was from the main magical entrance of the house instead of the non-magical front door.

The warp pad glowed blue, illuminating the house around it in a blinding shimmerance. Though its light was routine to her, it was still a marvel to look at. The light reached its peak before quickly disappearing, like dust particles that leave a window’s sunbeam.

Without further announcement, the figure of a well-known boy was revealed thanks to that similar absence of the warp pad’s light. 

Short curly hair, star shirt, now in blue, and pink sandals along with a new pink varsity jacket framed by a white hem, collar, and cuffs.

The image made Connie’s heart leap against her rib cage.

It was nothing too different from his old look, but that familiarity still instilled a very soft something-or-other emotion within her. She itched to rush over to him, but despite that temptation she made sure to keep her gaze steady on him as she calmly stood. She knows he’ll rush over to her.

She saw him land on the crystal surface below him with an amount of skill that echoed what she’d done along with him before. That was a layer to their interactions she knew wouldn’t be picked up by most other people, and that just made it all the nicer to notice. 

She then saw him launch himself up and away from the warp pad with a simple jump. His motions were practiced but Connie noticed that he had a droop to him. His gaze was unfocused.

She kept looking for more details to give her context, but she lost her opportunity once he noticed her.

“Connie!” He cried with unfiltered melodrama in his voice. He landed on the tip of his toes before leaping straight into Connie’s arms, which she opened quickly to embrace him with.

“Steven, finally!” She parroted back, both his words and his tight hug. His hands found space on her shoulders, and the crook of his arms pressed heavily against her back. 

She in turn grasped the back of his jacket and crinkled it tightly between her fingers. She held him to her.

Steven giggled and gave her a little sigh. “Aw man, I’ve missed this for sure.”

Connie smiled softly and grinned. “Me too.”

They both hummed and squeezed each other again, lingering for just another moment.

Connie’s heart was racing, and she wanted to look at his face again, which she couldn’t manage very well with her own currently residing on his shoulder. She took a second, and then grasped him gently and pushed him back. His face reentered her view, and Connie looked him up and down. She felt her own diligence towards him take form in the wideness of her eyelids and in the soft downward furrow of her brow.

She was seeing him at eye level now, but her mind bypassed that observation to hone her gaze on the more specific details she couldn’t see when first witnessing his arrival.

She blinked at what she saw. 

His black hair was plastered down his forehead, sticking to his skin in stiff positions. The little locks of hair that sat in front of his ears were absolutely frayed, not in cohesive little curls like usual.

Connie’s mind moved from the heartbeat in her chest to the sudden pulse of protective impulse that grew in her hand. It unraveled her fingers from their place on his back and crawled up to what she saw.

She made her way across his arm and up to his face. She tilted her wrist, and her fingers angled themselves to slot against Steven’s forehead. She applied only the tiniest wisp of pressure and gently used it to push the strands of hair upward off his skin.

He was a bit sticky to the touch, but it was countered by a bit of cold, which did not surprise her since he was just in the warp stream.

Connie slowly smoothed her hand past his hairline, then skimmed her fingertips back down his cheek to thumb the front of the tragus of his ear. She rubbed the locks of hair between her index and thumb to reorder the curls to coil together instead of apart.

She knew he was on Homeworld all day, and in space since at least last week. She knew they didn't have much in the way of comfortable places to rest on Homeworld, much less freshen up. She supposes he could have gone to Pink Diamond’s old room to do those things, but all things considered he was probably too busy keeping the other Diamonds busy to bother with getting the pebbles to help him clean up.\

It made her annoyed, but she is already remedying it herself, so she resigns to not dwelling on the past. 

Connie finishes her work, then stills her movements. She jolts.

His gaze was solidly kept on her, open and gentle. His face was warming from its previous chill and she could feel his cheekbones emanating the color red. He was looking right at her. Right at her.

Connie’s brain popped back into reality. And what sound did that make?

“Ah.”

That sound.

She made that one sound two or more times in her throat, but they were eventually sputtered off by Steven’s continued expression. 

He was still looking at her with that flushed little look, but his eyelids were clearly in a delicate balance of touching his eyebrows and dipping past his pupils. He was tired, and it showed in those subtle details. But his eyes never wavered from her. He was still looking at her.

“Steven, you’re tired,” she murmured truthfully.

He blinked before rolling his eyes, his mouth pursing. “Well, after the day I’ve had, you wouldn’t be surprised by that.” 

Connie couldn’t help the grin that bubbled up, “Oh yeah, why don’t you tell me about it?”

Steven looked at her with a grimace, and she returned his look expectantly, straight ahead of her. 

Connie then matched Steven’s pause. Straight ahead? But she’s taller than him…

Connie’s eyes popped wide open. 

Connie smirked gleefully as she re-grasped Steven at the shoulders. A wave of absolute mischief had washed over her. Anything Steven was going to say was put on indefinite hold. 

She walked backwards. Steven smoothly followed her grasp, obviously floating in the air.

Steven’s eyes parroted Connie’s wide open look, and he went from cute and sleepy to flustered and sputtery real quick. His knees instinctively bent and he blushed even brighter.

“Connie!” he groaned with reprisal melodrama that just absolutely oozed out of his voice. 

Connie chuckled at his theatrics and her grip on him grew slack and tingly from the humor. She leaned back and giggled like a schoolgirl after eating Halloween candy in January. She cackled like a madwoman who just got away with murder.

Steven held his face in his hands to cover his blush and expression. “Uh- what- Connie!” He sputtered.

Connie bellowed as if she just exposed the fact that her best friend floated simply because he saw _his_ best friend and got to be held by her.

“Connie, this isn’t fair. You know how my powers work! You can’t do this to me,” he frantically tried to whine with a straight face. Connie looked at him to see if he was managing it. 

She looked him up and down. He was still floating but leaning back moreso, and clearly alternating between covering his face and balling his hands up at his sides. His face looked in pain.

“I don’t know, Steven, I think I- I’m managing to laugh at you pretty easily,” Connie could barely wheeze out.

“I can see that, just- just help me down please. I don’t think I can stop floating if you keep laughing at me like that.” Despite his complaining, Connie could see that Steven was grinning like crazy, the tips of his mouth squishing his red cheeks up to his eyes. It suited him, she thought.

Connie was glad the house was empty, otherwise she would have canned her laughter much quicker. Between all the busyness of the gems and her own responsibilities, laughter was more of an occasion than a goal these days.

Connie felt the energy slip from her, but she left her smile alone. Connie shrugged off her mood a bit and raised her eyebrows at Steven, “What are you talking about, you’re the most skilled at your powers than anyone else.”

Steven huffed while rolling his eyes in disbelief, but it didn’t match well to his shy smile. “Nobody is as good as me with my powers, that’s why they’re mine.” He then transitioned into a smug look as if her statement made no sense. He crossed his arms in defiance to her argument,

Connie returned his smug look and walked over to him and planted her hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know Steven,” Connie started with a growing snark in her voice, ”Stevonnie is pretty good at your powers.” She smirked at him.

Steven’s face went blank. “That is true.” His eyes looked through her in quick defeat.

Connie giggled again and pushed down. Steven straightened out his legs until they touched the floor evenly.

“I’d say you and Stevonnie have about equal prowess.”

“Yeah, though they are definitely better skilled at the sword than I am.”

Connie smiled. “Yeah, I guess I do bring that to our table.”  
  
Steven twinkles back at her. “Well, you did study the blade.” 

Connie’s physical posture collapsed but she maintained her mental composure.

“So,“ Connie delicately eased into saying, “do you want to show our table off around town? You haven’t been in Beach City since last week. We could go get pizza.”

Steven perked up at her offer, but deflated after a moment. “No, no, I gotta- “ He motioned toward his general sweat-soaked facial region. “And I am kinda beat. Sorry Connie.” He looked at her openly, with a downward tilted face and gentle raising of the eyebrows. A piece of hair fell back onto his forehead.

Connie just waved her hands. “It’s a nonissue. You are kind of icky right now.”

“Haha, real funny. You’re the one who hugged me.”

“What was I supposed to do, not catch you when you leaped for me?”

“You could have done that!” Steven retorted with flair.

“Then you would have just floated right on by me. It would have been so mean of me to leave you hanging!” Connie spoke back with equal flair.

“Or I could have fallen on my butt from the sadness of not being held. Oh the horror!” Steven punctuated with loud tone deaf sorrow and a hand on his head like a damsel in distress.

Connie barked a laugh. “Well, as long as you shower, I will always catch you, fair damoiseau!” she gallantly bowed in response to his dainty pose.

They held their positions for a beat, trying to hold their silly act together. They began to tremble in unison and had to stifle their snorts. They might have been able to manage, had they not been interrupted before they could even humor that effort.

The front door opened and Pearl walked through. She had her finger gingerly pushing toward her gem as it emanated a few sparkles before fading. She had a small smile on her face.

“Oh you two, that was so adorable,” Pearl cooed.

They flinched comically and straightened their backs immediately. Pearl just observed them and tittered. Connie blushed, but didn’t hide her expression.

“Did everything go okay with the Diamonds, Steven?” Pearl quickly digressed.

Connie watched Steven’s face relax from his fit of embarrassment before tightening a little. “Yeah, it was just tiring. A lot of repeating lines and getting the other pearls to agree on the angle of the camera,” he said slowly, “just stuff like that today.”

“Well now that you’re home, you can relax. Good job today,” Pearl said as she walked over to the both of them. She made to pat Steven’s hair, but the moment she touched it she retracted her hand.

“Ech, maybe you should freshen up first.” She said mildly. Steven just rolled with it, “That was the plan, Pearl.”

She rolled along with his response and let him leave for the bathroom. He waved to Connie before making his escape.

Quickly it was just herself and Pearl.

Pearl ambled to the sofa to sit and Connie perked up to speak. “Oh wait, let me move those.”

Pearl glanced at Connie and then the cushions of the sofa, “Oh, whoopsie daisy.” Pearl lifted a folded pile of blue pajamas free from their accidental doom. Connie smiled and took them from her.

“I was planning to sleep over. Steven said he wanted us to after he got back from space.”

“That’s nice to hear!," Pearl replied, "it is getting late though, so maybe you should see about your change of attire.”

“Right,” Connie said respectfully. She made a forward motion to the bathroom before stopping. Connie very well couldn’t use it at the moment.

Pearl noticed this and waved her hands quaintly around her gem. Connie saw it shimmer like it did when she entered the front door. The temple door behind the warp pad lit up with a vertical cream colored line that split down the middle to reveal Pearl’s personal room.

“You can use mine to change. Just knock when you’re done.” Pearl offered with a grin while making a knocking motion next to her own gem.

Connie nodded and set off.

“Don’t step on the water though or else you’ll fall through into it, Connie!” Connie just waved, puzzled. 

“Right.” Connie turned away from Pearl. Of course she'd fall through if she fell into it, she thought to herself, casually confused.

Connie put it out of mind and changed into her blue night clothes. She made sure to stay near the edge of the room. She shuffled her bare feet on the cold silver floor.

She did dunk her hands into the gigantic pool of water to clear the bit of forehead sweat Steven accidentally left on her hand. She frowned in thought about it.

After she got done with her mini moping session, she knocked on the door and waited. Connie softly snapped to attention when she saw it shift. Except it looked different from earlier. It lit up cream for a split second like before, but it quickly devolved into a slimy purple texture.

The door was opening though, so she hurried through. The moment she crossed the threshold, her vision was overwhelmed with that same purple color. It swished around her vision and she shot out her hand to wave away the foreign colors.

“EHG!” 

Connie jerked. “AH!”

Connie stumbled forward out of Pearl’s room, and she realized she was standing super close to Amethyst. She practically had her chin on the top of her head!

Amethyst whipped around, and her hair roughly brushed against her. “Dude, Connie, did you become a ninja or something, where did you even come from!” Amethyst had leaped away from her and put her hands up in a karate-like fashion, making chopping motions.

Connie waved her hands, “No way Amethyst, I was just in Pearl’s room changing.”

Connie took the gem’s name drop as an opportunity to look at its owner. Pearl was staring at them from her seat on the sofa, but she now had a blue bass guitar in her lap. Her right hand was making a pointing gesture near her own gem, and her left hand gently cradled the neck of the guitar. Her face was some brand of wide, smiley confusion.

“I’ve never seen _that_ before.” Pearl smiled with bewilderment while she spoke.

“I’ve never felt that before, brr!” Amethyst wholesomely chuckled.

The bathroom door opened. “Felt what before?” Steven asked. He was dressed in a yellow shirt and striped blue pajama pants. Steam sat in the air behind him.

“Stevo, I think I just got as close as I can ever get to fusing with a human,” Amethyst uttered artlessly.

Alarms of bewilderment went off in Steven’s head. “What? Uh- wait, what?” He darted over to the temple door and littered the floor with foot shaped puddles. To Connie he looked panicked. To everyone else he also looked panicked. What can Connie say, Steven’s an open book.

“As if she’s speaking literally,” Pearl huffed sweetly. ”She just left her room the same time Connie left mine. They just phased through each other. It was just a trick of the living room light at least, and a trick of hard-light at most.” Pearl shook her head. “It was surreal to watch though!”

“Oh is that it. Ha.” Steven now looked calmer to Connie. She humors the thought of him being jealous.

Pearl plucked a few pretty chords while the three of them settled down from their dodged bullet of a mini conversational diatribe. Connie saw Pearl glance at the trail of water Steven left and Connie saw her motion for Steven to clean up after himself.

Steven cringed in a way that Connie found charming, and Steven rectified his mess.

They then all began to settle down, and the sun outside began to dip past the ocean. Connie sat down next to Pearl, who had Amethyst flanking her other side, meanwhile Steven flanked her own.

The warp pad lit up again, and in the same vein as before, it was beautiful. But it was also just routine. Garnet revealed herself.

“Hey G-Man.” 

“Ah Garnet, just in time.”

Garnet nodded to them both and Connie watched her visor tilt downward and her mouth tilt upward.

“Nice job cleaning up Steven.”

Steven’s face was still flushed from the shower, but it matched his reaction perfectly. He leaned back with a juvenile harrumph. “Oh my gosh, give me a break!” Steven’s back hit the cushion and he pulled his knees upward to shove his face into them.

Everyone laughed at him, but Steven just pouted and leaned over to fall onto Connie’s shoulder. Connie blushed and relaxed at the familiarity of it all. It felt like family. She nudged her cheek onto his hair.

Off to their side, Pearl asked Garnet to prepare dinner, and Garnet gave her a thumbs up that had more sass in its wrist than Connie has ever witnessed from her.

Mindlessly, she glanced down to her friend and took a soothing breathe.

Connie’s face then grew a grin, “The conditions are correct.”

Steven peeked up at her through his lashes. “What?”

“Glomp!” Connie narrated herself.

“Huh,” Steven reacted dumbly. He just raised her eyebrow at her. “Glomp?" Steven muttered, "Seriously? When are we, the early 2000's?”

“You showered, so I get to catch you. Now you’ll never escape me!” Connie nestled further into Steven hair like a dragon spinning on its treasure before laying down.

Steven just resigned himself to feeling the weight of her on him, and he sighed. “I did miss this.”

Connie twinkled with content. “Me too.”

They remained physically close throughout the rest of the night, only parting to eat a pizza Garnet had decided to order. Pearl threw a disappointed glare at her, but Garnet weathered it with grace and gave Steven her slice. Pearl had given Connie hers, and Amethyst had eaten the box.

Rain puttered outside, and everything was calm. Pearl plucked deep and colorful chords into the dark.

Connie found herself glancing at Steven throughout the night. She wondered if she needed to mention to him again that she was leaving for space camp tomorrow. She reasoned that he knew, and if he can not mention why he was so tired from space directly to her, she can afford to forget re-mentioning what she told him eight days ago. She wonders if it was more than a galaxy wide dress rehearsal.

She’ll ask him after space camp.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> God this mess took me five days to write. Lets hope I stay motivated, yeah? Validate me in the comments below and I'll give the first five comments a random Old English word and its etymology.
> 
> Also like... tell me what you think... or whatever....
> 
> ;P


End file.
